Crossing the border with Blue Jays beat reporter Jordan Bastian.

Game 7: Toronto at Cleveland pregame

Happy Easter from Progressive Field everyone. It seems funny that, being a pastor’s kid, I’d wind up in a job that has me work on Sundays, and Easter Sundays at that. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though.

Jays manager Cito Gaston went back with his Opening Day lineup today, adding the left-handed swinging Lyle Overbay and Travis Snider back to the mix. They were out the past two days with Cleveland throwing southpaws at the Jays. Cito stacked his lineup with righties — minues Adam Lind — in those games.

Gaston believes that Lind handles lefties a little better than Snider right now, but that doesn’t mean young Travis won’t be getting starts against left-handed pitchers — it’s not a platoon. Gaston intends on having Snider face lefties as the season goes along.

“I want him to,” Gaston said. “He’s going to have to do that if he’s goign to be part of the future here. But right now, [Jose] Bautista needs to play to keep him sharp.

“[Lind] has a little better idea of the strike zone up there than Snider does right now. But, like I said about Snider the other day, he’s smart and he learns quick.”

Jays looking to improve to 6-1 for the first time since 1994 today. They’ve rolled out to that record twice in franchise history — 92 and 94. Also, Mr. Lind — with his three homers and 12 RBIs — leads the Majors in RBIs and ranks second with 12 hits. He also is the first Toronto player in team history to have 12 RBIs in the club’s first six games.

Also, Jays’ .318 team average and 27 extra-base hits lead the Majors. The Jays are also the only team to have two players with at least 10 hits (Lind, 12; Marco Scutaro, 10). Toronto’s 42 runs — also first in baseball — are the most the team has scored in its first six games since plating 47 runs in the first six games of the 2001 season. Jays are tied for 1st in the AL with nin homers, and didn’t have that many until Game #13 last year.

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26 Comments

Why are people always looking at something negative to dwell on, rather than just accepting that the team, including Vernon Wills, is hitting very well right now? Vernon is hitting .292, with an OBP of .370. He has 5 runs (on pace for 135), and 3 2B (on pace of 81, which would be a new MLB record). I also believe that 2 of his 3 doubles were off the wall, meaning they were inches away from being HR’s, and meaning that his power stroke is there. Yes, he has 1 RBI, but if he continues hitting like he is, he’ll have a ton by season’s end. RBI’s often come in bunches.

BJ Ryan on the other hand, is fair game. There’s concerns there. I don’t think they’ll demote him just yet though. They’re only 6 games into the year (and 5-1) after all. There’s still some room for error this early in the season, before foolishly panicking. I don’t think his leash is very long though, if he continues like this. I also don’t think that he fully redeems himself with one good outing. He’s surely on the radar.

A jays newbee here. New found Jays fan due to our blogger. I look forward to reading JB this year and following the Jays, especially if they continue the swingin the sticks.
BTW Jordan, I still have the video recording of us at the K watching the Iron Man.
-Ben

A jays newbee here. New found Jays fan due to our blogger. I look forward to reading JB this year and following the Jays, especially if they continue the swingin the sticks.
BTW Jordan, I still have the video recording of us at the K watching the Iron Man.
-Ben

Long time, dude. Wow, I was just telling somebody recently about our trip from Colorado to see Ripken play one last time. Nothing better than getting crushed my autograph seekers, seeing Cal go 0-for4, and staying in the scariest motel ever. Good times, man. I still have never seen that video. Ha.
~JB

rene
So let me get this right. It’s ok with you if someone is negative if you agree with the negativity and not ok if you don’t? lol
Funny you didn’t comment on my posts about Lind, Frasor, Hill and others which were positive. I guess you missed those, huh?

rene-and just for the record. Wells has hit twice in this game and has hit two ground balls for outs with a runners in scoring positions both times.
That isn’t being negative about Wells, it’s simply stating what he did, which is the pits imo.

I was just going to post a comment about Wells’ LOB numbers when he hits a two run home run. The Jays are coming back!!! My other comment was going to be agreeing that Wells is a slow starter and he will drive in those runs later in the year as often as he is leaving them on base in April.

GS, don’t get me wrong I enjoy reading your posts, though I disagree with them quite often. It’s just when you post something saying that you have concerns over a guy who was hitting .294, at the time, expect to be called out for it. It is a blog after all. It’s all in good fun though. And for the record, I don’t agree that it’s time to panic with BJ. Perhaps soon though, if things don’t turn around…

Oh, and Wells is now hitting .321 and on pace for a 200 hit season. 7 days into the season.

Let’s hope for another series win, though a split in Minn would be OK.

I was at the game today, and I was really happy with the turnout of Jays fans in my home city of Cleveland! I also was extremely happy with the series win for the Jays, although I am still pretty upset with Scutaro striking out with men at 2nd and 3rd with one out. A sac fly would have tied the game and maybe swung the momentum of the game! Anyways, I am looking forward to watching the Jays this season, and hopefully the good luck will continue!

I was at the game today, and I was really happy with the turnout of Jays fans in my home city of Cleveland! I also was extremely happy with the series win for the Jays, although I am still pretty upset with Scutaro striking out with men at 2nd and 3rd with one out. A sac fly would have tied the game and maybe swung the momentum of the game! Anyways, I am looking forward to watching the Jays this season, and hopefully the good luck will continue!

JB.
Who gave you the right to use my name in your swearing reprimand.
How many people have swore on this blog and you never used their names.
That was a move by a low class JERK.
GO FIND A JOB WITH A TEAM THAT YOU AT LEAST CARE ABOUT.
And all you JB butt kissers don’t bother responding to my post because i don’t care.

Garryguy good for you!!!! finally someone who has the balls to speak his mind. You are totally right in your words to Bastien. These other pions who for some reason want to be buddy buddy with the guy and support every word from the guy’s mouth, I just don’t get it !!!
Said it before and I’ll say it again Jordan Bastien is an I D I O T!!!! He knows practicaly nothing about baseball, and does nothing to support Blue Jay morale except provide negativity. Go write for the Cubs!! Just look at the guy’s picture and you know he was the nerdy kid everyone bullied. His preference is to talk about non baseball related topics.NOT INTERESTED in your wekend loser trips to some city where you picked up nothing.

So what Jordan doesn’t want swearing on his blog, so what he named one name, so what he’s like half of the prognosticators and picked the Jays to finish 5th (the other half said 4th), so what he’s from Chicago, and would probably prefer to cover his boyhood team, so what he’s *not* a boring one dimensional wanna be jock who only cares about baseball, and so what if he looks like a nerd . . . what does any of this mean to any of you?

While I far from agree with everything JB says, at least he isn’t an angry, tired, old, boring, JP effigy burning, boring (worth mentioning again) white guy, pining for the days of old when team executives sucked up to them like Beeston, Gillick and Ash . . . like the bums(*cough* “writers” *cough*) at the Sun and Star.

I read this blog and all of Jordan’s articles religiously. I am loathed to write a response to what was said above – acknowledging the negative comments or engaging in a debate with the posters gives them the attention they so desperately seek…………………

I would like to say to Jordan the following (for what its worth) – I think you do a great job. Thank-you. Your work is appreciated. I find it balanced and insightful. I have also really been diggin you twitter posts. Keep up the good work. Don’t let the haters get you down………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

P.S. Did you SEE the catch by Reed yesterday – it made me cry – I want Reed back!!!

JMSPRATT: That catch by Reed was amazing. He might have the catch of the year already — like he did last year, too. And don’t worry about the comments. I like when people get fired up :) I don’t expect everyone to agree with everything I say, or necessarily like me. Won’t stop me from doing my job the way I always have, trying to give you guys solid Jays coverage.

And, yo, garryguy, you’ve been a great contributor to the blog. I’d hate to see you stop writing on here. The only reason I mentioned your name was your name appeared on the mentioned post anyway. It’s not like you were posting anonymously. I like that everyone has free reign to post away on here — I don’t want to have to delete comments or sensor you all. Many other bloggers do.

Anyways, back to baseball. This could be a good test this series for the Jays. Three of the green arms going before Doc against a team that might very well win the Central.

Hey JB,
first off i want to say that I pretty much have the same computer (less RAM though) as Gsumner (GSJays…sorry still stuck in the old times:P) but i got logged in in less than a second.
However once before it did take too long so i gave up (that must have been a high traffic time with the MLB having alot of people signing in and out, we can’t control any of the other but just hope that we can get logged in quickly.

I did stop commenting because I just dont have much time but I do want to say that I read your blogs everyday and read all the comments and I do not agree with any people one bit.

I must say that I think you do a great job for what its worth and its refreshing to see alot of comments on here, I too do not agree with everything but thats normal, thats life, thats how it supposed to be, gives new perspectives and opinions

and EVERYONE who swears, first of all, that is an unethical choice on your behalf and why you would ruin others and your own experience, I can only wonder and this blog is supposed to be for everyone and anyone who posts…

now i remember before hand Gsjays and Garry you two (whom i wholeheartedly agreed with) were against swearing on here since we had a few young people reading this…i just wanted everyone to remind that. It isn’t in our best interests or anyone elses.

On the other hand disagreeing with someone elses work, while it is accepted, perhaps a nicer way to do it would be possible?
such as “I understand where you come from however I have to disagree with your assumption that the jays are going to finish last because…”

anyways hope we can talk some baseball, casue I am not liking Ryan and I think our hot offensive streak is about to end soon.

That was a class comment, JB, and it would be really nice if we could all carry on our discussions without resorting to personal name calling. My final say: There are those on this site that resort to the worst sort of invective and personal attacks while hiding behind the anonymity of an IP address, that wouldn’t have the cojones to say the same thing to your face. You know who you are. If you can’t say it in polite company, don’t say it here.

Back to BJ once more time:
Has anyone noticed that he is a LOT slimmer now than he was before the TJ surgery? Some pitchers need a few extra pounds around the middle in order to throw effectively, AKA David Wells, etc. They list his weight at 250 now, but wasn’t he 260 or 270 when he signed on with us?

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